Photos: Iranian Activists Protest In Support of Abr Forest Iranian environmental activists have demonstrated in protest against the construction of a road through Abr Forest. ISNA reports that the activists maintain that the road has no economic or social justification and is only being built to satisfy "the secret campaign promises of parliamentary candidates and to satisfy the interests of land mongers and the lumber mafia." - 6/30/12

Two Iranian sites approved as World Heritage sites The Jameh Mosquein Isfahan and Gonbad-e Qabus Tower in northeastern Iran have been approved as World Heritage sites in the 36th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which is currently taking place in St. Petersburg. - 6/30/12

UN Special Rapporteurs condemn ongoing executions in Iran Three United Nations Special Rapporteurs on Iran, summary executions and torture condemned the recent execution of four members of the Ahwazi Arab minority in Ahwaz's Karoun Prison in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Following a reportedly unfair trial, they were sentenced to death and executed on or around 19 June 2012. - 6/30/12

Iranian journalists demand justice for jailed peer A letter signed by 141 Iranian journalists expresses their support for their jailed colleague, Bahman Ahmadi Amouyi, and urges the authorities to assure that laws and prison regulations are observed in dealing with prisoners. - 6/30/12

Iran: Commute death sentences imposed for drinking alcohol Two men found guilty for the third time of consuming alcohol - forbidden under Iran's Penal Code - must not be executed, Amnesty International said. The head of the judiciary in north-eastern Khorasan Razavi province, Seyed Hassan Shariati, announced that the authorities were preparing to carry out death sentences upheld by the Supreme Court in Tehran. - 6/30/12

My Life as an iRanianI call myself a former "iRanian" with a heavy heart. I say it after the news broke last week that an Apple retail store employee in Georgia told an Iranian-American woman named Sahar Sabet that he would not sell her an iPad after hearing her speak to a relative in Persian. -Matteen Mokalla, Huffington Post - 6/30/12

Morsi Is Sworn in as First Civilian President of Egypt Egyptian president-elect Mohamed Morsi has been sworn in Saturday, marking a new chapter in the history of a country that elected its first civilian president. He took the oath of office in an inauguration ceremony at the Supreme Consitituional Court (SCC). - 6/30/12

Iran Braces For Full Force Of EU Oil Embargo July 1 figures to be a bad day for Iran -- that's when hard-hitting EU sanctions on Iran's oil exports take full effect. The sanctions targeting the country's economic lifeline are the EU's toughest measures to date concerning Iran's controversial nuclear activities. Economists believe they could slash Iran's oil revenues by half. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE - 6/29/12

Hundreds of Iranian-American Women Gather in Georgetown "Being active is not a privilege, it's a responsibility." This was just one of many lessons learned at the Iranian-American Women's Leadership Conference that took place on June 23 at Georgetown University. -Ariana Romero, NIAC - 6/29/12

Iranian Currency In Freefall Tehran money traders report that on Thursday, the dollar was trading at 20,050 rials, similar to the rates observed last winter, when news of sanctions on Iranian oil heralded sharp fluctuations in the Iranian currency market. The Iranian currency's latest decline come just ahead of the EU oil embargo on Iran, which takes effect on July 1 - 6/29/12

EU Oil Embargo on Iran Goes into Effect Sunday LONDON -- European Union sanctions on Iran's oil industry go into full effect on Sunday, adding to the pressure on Iranian leaders to negotiate a settlement of the international concerns about their nuclear program. -Al Pessin, VOA - 6/29/12

Film Highlights Islamic Art's Contribution to World Culture The finery of tapestry and carpets, the grandeur of soaring arches in mosques and palaces, and the beauty of calligraphy are just some of the art forms highlighted in a new film by Unity Productions Foundation, Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World. The 90-minute documentary explores Islam's contribution to world art and culture through 1,400 years and across four continents. -David Byrd, VOA - 6/29/12

Iran Oil Embargo: Act Now to Prevent a Catastrophic New War In the last few weeks of 2011, leading Western politicians, prodded by Israel, hyped their war propaganda against Iran using as pretext the November report of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran, which, while confirming the non-diversion of all declared nuclear material, speculated on possible military dimension of Iran's nuclear programme in the past. -CASMII - 6/29/12

Iranian Official Requests Patience Over Prices Ahmad Khatami, a senior member of Iran's Assembly of Experts, is urging Iranians to show patience in the face of rising prices. After the government cut subsidies on energy and food staples, the prices on Iranian goods have risen in growing waves. - 6/29/12

US Exempts China, Singapore From Iran Oil Sanctions The Obama administration has exempted China and Singapore from economic sanctions against countries that import oil from Iran. The tougher U.S. sanctions took effect Thursday. A statement from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says China and Singapore have significantly reduced their imports of Iranian oil. -Kent Klein, VOA - 6/29/12

Iran's dentist to the stars offers views on US Prior to the Islamic revolution, Iran and America shared very good relations. The former Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, had an army with modern hardware supplied by the U.S. There were direct flights between New York City and Tehran and the city was full of hotels run by major American chains. -Ali Arouzi, NBC News - 6/29/12

Dissident Warnings From Iran Meanwhile, two dissenting Iranian religious figures -- an imprisoned cleric and an exiled spiritual Sufi -- have issued messages to the world condemning the Iranian theocratic authorities and calling on all religious believers to assist Iranians against the governing hierarchy. -Stephen Schwartz, Huffington Post - 6/29/12

Rewriting History So We Can Repeat It It's been said that the Middle East suffers from too much history. This is especially true of Iran where people have very long historical memories. Mindful of this fact, the Right is trying to rewrite history so we can repeat it. -Shawn Amoei - 6/28/12

IRGC Prepares For Large Cultural Maneuver In Tehran As more economists speak of the impossibility of bringing the new wave of inflation in Iran under control, Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and the police are preparing themselves to confront potential social unrest in the future. -Nazanin Kamdar - 6/28/12

A Facebook Page That Iran's Authorities Don't 'Like' Ayoung asylum seeker in Holland says authorities in Iran are retaliating against his family over his contributions to a Facebook page that satirizes a Shi'ite imam. Twenty-five-year-old Yashar Khameneh says that due to his online activities, his father has been jailed and threatened with execution. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL - 6/28/12

EXHIBITION: The State of In-Between in Iranian Contemporary Art For the first time an exhibition is hosted in Linz, Austria that explicitly focalizes Iranian contemporary art. Therefore, the institution Salzamt has invited 4 Iranian-born artists - who either live and work in- or outside the country - in order to work site-specifically in the city of Linz. - 6/28/12

Photos: Tehran International Game Expo and Festival Thirty new Iranian video games have been introduced at the Tehran International Game Expo and Festival, which is currently underway at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla. Iran's National Foundation for Computer Games is the main organizer of the festival, which opened on Tuesday. - 6/28/12

Iranian FM detained in Cyprus Iran's Foreign Minister was reportedly briefly detained by airport officials during his trip to Cyprus because, according to the Cypriots, he was believed to be on the EU's blacklist. - 6/28/12

Iran Blames Foreigners For Syria Unrest Iran's ambassador to the UN has blamed foreigners for the bloodshed in Syria and denied any Iranian role. Speaking to reporters at UN headquarters in New York, Mohammad Khazaee also said Iran was ready to play a role in mediating a solution to the crisis in Syria. - 6/28/12

Iranian currency continues slide in value Iran's currency continues to experience a steep fall in value as sanctions tighten on Iranian oil and the country's financial sector. The U.S. dollar is trading at almost 20,000 rials, compared to 18,000 rials on Friday. The price of gold in Iran is also rising rapidly, despite gold's recent decline on international markets. - 6/27/12

Photos: Windcatchers in Qom, Iran A windcatcher is a traditional Persian architectural device used for many centuries to create natural ventilation in buildings. It is not known who first invented the windcatcher, but it still can be seen in many countries today. -Hojjatollah Ataei - 6/27/12

"The Killer" star Bahram Radan shines at Indian festival Iranian star Bahram Radan won the best actor award at the Ladakh International Film Festival, which was held in India from June 15 to 17. Radan, who is referred to in the West as the Iranian Brad Pitt, received the award for his portrayal of a forensic psychiatrist in Reza Karimi's thriller "The Killer". - 6/27/12

Part of Me: mise en abyme Part of Me: mise en abyme, a video program in two parts curated by Amirali Ghasemi and Sandra Skurvida for the Iranian Arts Now festival and exhibition, June 23 - July 24, 2012 - 6/27/12

Iranian MPs demand protection for Abr Forest The 35,000-hectare Abr Forest is threatened because the Environment Organization of Iran has approved the construction of a road through it. The group has justified its decision by saying the trees that have to be cut are rarely more than 15 cm in diameter, and the path of the road has been planned to make the smallest possible impact on the area's ecosystem. - 6/27/12

Iran's "Bear" grabs Golden Goblet of Shanghai filmfest The Iranian family drama "Bear" won the Golden Goblet Award for best film at the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival on Sunday. Director Khosrow Masumi and producer Javad Noruzbeigi attended the award presentation ceremony of the festival. - 6/27/12

Iran says oil exports may fall Iranian oil exports will decline by 20 to 30 percent in the coming weeks due to oilfield maintenance work, says Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Ahmad Ghalebani. Khabar-on-line has reported on recent predictions that Iran's oil revenues will fall by $50 billion in the current year. Last year, Iran's official oil revenues amounted to $113 billion. - 6/27/12

The Truth Behind Saudi Arabia's Fear of a Nuclear Iran In a recent interview with the Israeli daily, Haaretz, Dennis Ross, a senior advisor to the United States President Barack Obama in Middle East affairs, said that in a visit to Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, in early 2009, he had been told by the Saudi King Abdullah that if Iran becomes a nuclear state, Saudi Arabia will rapidly develop its own nuclear bomb. -Hassan Ahmadian - 6/27/12

Iran's Dena to hit market March 2013 Iranian leading automaker, Iran Khodro's fourth domestically-built car -- Dena -- would hit the market by the end of Iranian calendar year, late March 2013. - 6/27/12

Iranian Group Urged To Comply With Resettlement Plan The United States is urging members of an Iranian dissident group to comply with a U.N. and Iraqi-supported plan to move from their location at Camp Ashraf in Iraq to another location near Baghdad, Camp Hurriya, in anticipation of their relocation out of Iraq. - 6/27/12

Putin to Peres: Israel will regret attacking Iran Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Israel will regret it if it launches a military strike on Iran. Putin made the remarks during a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Beit-ul-Moqaddas (Jerusalem) on Monday. - 6/27/12

Photos: Persian carpet woven by tourists in Yazd unveiled - "Every Tourist, a Knot" The Persian carpet "Every Tourist, a Knot", woven by tourists visiting the central Iranian city of Yazd, was unveiled during a ceremony at Tehran's Milad Tower on Monday evening. The carpet bearing eight images of Yazd historical sites, such as Dowlatabad Garden, Yazd Jame Mosque, and Amir Chakhmaq Square, took two years to be completed. - 6/26/12

Morsi Interview Controversy Highlights Iran's Press Rift One day after Muhammad Morsi was declared the winner of Egypt's presidential election, Iran's Fars news agency issued an alleged interview with him in which the president-elect expressed interest in strengthening ties with Tehran. - 6/26/12

International Olympic Committee warns Iran The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has warned Iran's National Olympic Committee to respect the Olympic Movement, otherwise Iran could be banned from the Games. - 6/26/12

Iran builds pilot version of accelerator Iranian Vice President for Science and Technology Nasrin Soltankhah said the country has built pilot version of accelerator. "The macroproject is one of the long-term plans in the country which takes at least 10 years to be implemented," she said. - 6/26/12

Photos: Carpet Bazaar in Tabriz, Iran The Bazaar of Tabriz is one of the oldest bazaars of the Middle East and the largest covered bazar in the world. It was inscribed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in July 2010. -Farshid Tighehsaz - 6/25/12

The Fantasy of a Freer World There is an acupuncture point just in the middle of the palm of the hand whose function is to stimulate Hope. Just noticing the pain in it, for the first time after all these years of using this point for patients, it occurred: Ah, this is where the nails for crucification pierce the palms and wondered whether it had anything to do with The words of Abandonment, Jesus cried out on the cross: My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me? -Roya Monajem, Tehran - 6/25/12

Iranian-American Scientist Celebrates 105th Birthday! Dr. Abolghassem Ghaffari has worked with Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer. He also helped NASA put a man on the moon for the Apollo 11 mission. That was a celebrated day in his life and recently, an equally important one arrived on June 15, 2012; he turned 105 years old. - 6/25/12

Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Resumes Activities Ambassador Bahrami was recalled for consultations on May 21 in protest at the desecration of religious sanctities and insults shouted at high-ranking Iranian officials during a demonstration outside the Iranian Embassy in Baku on May 11. - 6/25/12

World Leaders React to Egypt's Election Results President Obama called Morsi to congratulate him. Mr. Obama underscored that the United States will continue to support Egypt's transition to democracy and stand by the Egyptian people as they fulfill the promise of their revolution. - 6/25/12

Jailed Iranian Activist Writes Letter Of Protest Jailed Iranian human rights activist Nargess Mohammadi is challenging her "illegal" transfer to Zanjan Prison and, in a letter to the Tehran prosecutor, she writes that this treatment is in effect a sentence of "gradual death." - 6/24/12

Iran: 15 arrested in Ahwaz protests The Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that following the execution of four Arab political prisoners in Ahwaz, the city erupted in protests, during which at least 15 people were arrested. - 6/24/12

Jamshid Bayrami at La Fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art: HAJ HARMONYJamshid Bayrami is one the world's most accomplished photojournalists and photographers, having started his career as a young war reporter. Bayrami's images of the Haj are captivating and enthralling, and with near surgical subtlety depict the harmony, peace, calm, beauty and true spirituality of the Haj, and allegorically, of the true practice of all faiths. - 6/24/12

Stuxnet cyberweapon set to stop operating At one second past midnight Sunday, the world's most powerful known cyber weapon, reportedly created by the US with Israeli support to clandestinely infiltrate and then wreck Iran's nuclear fuel enrichment program, will cease to operate. -CSM - 6/24/12

Turkey: Syrian-Downed Plane Was Over International Waters The crisis between Turkey and Syria over Syria's shoot-down of a Turkish military jet has deepened, with Ankara saying the plane was shot down while it was in international airspace. Turkey is now looking for NATO's support. - 6/24/12

Iranian-American Rapper Shatters Stereotypes Azad Right is not a traditional rapper. At 24 years old, he has a political science degree and is Iranian-American. In the U.S., hip-hop and rap are mostly dominated by African-Americans and Latinos. Right is trying to break that stereotype. - 6/23/12

A Theatrical Play for Evin Prisoners in Tehran A director plans to stage a play about the Iranian movie star Hamed Behdad in the Evin Prison in Tehran today. Zoheir Yari's troupe has performed "My Love; Hamed Behdad", which is an environmental theater play, at the cafeteria of Tehran's City Theater Complex over the past two weeks. - 6/23/12

Ahmadinejad visits Venezuela A week after the announcement that Venezuela has built drones in a joint project with Iran, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez welcomed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to his country. - 6/23/12

Conflicting reactions to Iranian and British Foreign Ministers' meeting The head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, is denying earlier reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has been summoned to Parliament by his commission for having met with William Hague, his British counterpart. - 6/23/12

Syria Admits Shooting Down Turkish Warplane Syria says it has shot down a Turkish air force jet that had flown into Syrian airspace. Syrian officials said the low-flying warplane was shot down over the Mediterranean Sea Friday. Turkish political and military leaders held a two-hour security meeting in Ankara to discuss the incident. - 6/23/12

Photos: Slalom Auto Racing Competitions in Tabriz International slalom auto racing competitions was held on Friday morning at the auto racing track in Tabriz, northwestern Iran. A number of men and women drivers participated at the event. -Saber Alinejad - 6/22/12

Noor Iranian Film Festival announces 2012 Official Selection We are happy to announce the official selection of the 5th Annual Noor Iranian Film Festival. Out of hundreds of submissions received from filmmakers around the world, the selection committee has selected 25 films to be included in this year's program. - 6/22/12

Who killed Iranian activist Gelareh Bagherzadeh?Gelareh Bagherzadeh was a gregarious Iranian-born woman studying molecular genetics. She taught children to play the piano and volunteered at her church. Why on earth would someone want to kill her? - USA Today - 6/22/12

Iran detains architect of nuclear assassinations: Intelligence Minister Iran's Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi says the architect of the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists has been identified and arrested. Moslehi told reporters the arrests were carried following the identification and busting of two terrorist groups in multiple sting operations across the country. - 6/22/12

As Iran Talks Falter, Fears of Military Action Increase The near failure of talks in Moscow and the pending imposition of a full oil embargo by the European Union have deepened the dispute between Iran and the international community, and increased concerns about military action. -Al Pessinr, VOA - 6/22/12

Iran: Reveal Fate of Arab Minority Prisoners Iranian authorities should immediately provide information regarding the whereabouts and well-being of seven men from the country's ethnic Arab minority who are known to be in Iranian custody, Human Rights Watch said today. - 6/22/12

In Iran, They Want Fun, Fun, FunOne of the most pernicious misunderstandings in the West about Iranians is that they are dour religious fanatics. -Nicholas D. Kristof, NY Times - 6/22/12

Iran not to invite Saudi king to NAM summit in Tehran Iran has canceled its decision to invite Saudi King Abdullah to the XVI Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, which is scheduled to be held in Tehran from August 26 to 31. The decision has been made in response to the execution of a number of Iranian prisoners in Saudi Arabia for their alleged involvement in drug trafficking. - 6/22/12

"Flame" can sabotage computers, attack Iran: expert The powerful Flame computer virus is not only capable of espionage but it can also sabotage computer systems and likely was used to attack Iran in April, according to a leading security company, Symantec Corp. -Reuters - 6/22/12

Iran's Influence In Afghanistan: Implications Of The Iran-US Stand-Off - AnalysisSince the fall of the Taliban in 2001, Iran has invested heavily in Afghanistan, particularly in western Afghanistan. Tehran has sought to develop the western provinces - particularly Herat, Nimruz and Farah - as its spheres of influence, which could also act as a buffer if a civil war was to break out in Afghanistan - Aryaman Bhatnagar, Eurasia Review - 6/22/12

Art Patronage of the Nineteenth Century IranArt patronage in Iran in the Qajar period (1795-1925) witnessed preeminent fluctuations. Elements such as the availability of materials for painting, newly opened art schools, financial support for teaching at schools, and working for newspapers and publishers all helped artists to become more self-sufficient and solidified their positions in relationships to their patrons. -Mahshid Modares - 6/21/12

Iranian Alliances Across Borders sends letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook IAAB's Board President and Executive Director asked that Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, rectify the recent and unfortunate events surrounding an Apple Branch's refusal to sell items to a former IAAB participant. The Camp Ayandeh alum is a 19-year-old Iranian American student at the University of Georgia who was denied service after an employee heard her speaking in Persian with her uncle. - 6/21/12

Photos: Four lion cubs and two bear cubs trapped in Mashhad In two separate operations, Fire Department crew in Mashhad, northeastern Iran trapped four lion cubs and two bear cubs and handed them over to the Environmental Protection Agency officers. It is not clear how the cubs appeared in the streets of Mashhad. Similar incidents in Tehran last year were attributed to illegal activities by those engaged in trading of wild animals. - 6/21/12

Vesta Monitor's Iran Economic Report: May 2012 Executive Summary: After what the foreign exchange and gold markets went through in 1390 (March 2011 - March 2012), the consequences are showing their ugly faces in rising inflation in the Iranian economy today. An inflation wave is hitting the economy while the economic growth rate is practically zero and unemployment is soaring. - 6/21/12

Iran says Flame virus is contained Following a Washington Post report indicating that the United States and Israel collaborated in developing the Flame computer virus in order to delay Iran's nuclear program, the Iranian Minister of Communications and Technology announced that it has identified and overcome this malware. - 6/21/12

Israel Demands Stiffer Sanctions On Iran Israel is demanding the West slap stiffer economic sanctions on Iran after talks between Iran and the West on curbing Tehran's nuclear program produced no breakthrough. - 6/21/12

Japan, China to import Iran oil after EU ban At least two of Asia's four top buyers of Iranian crude will keep imports flowing, though at overall reduced rates, as they find ways around an EU ban on insuring tankers carrying the Islamic country's oil. -Reuters - 6/21/12

Photos: Public Hanging of 4 Rapists In Tehran Four men convicted of raping young girls by force were hanged in Tehran on Wednesday morning. According to Mehr News Agency, the men were hanged in Shahid Mahallati highway in southeastern Tehran. - 6/20/12

MEK Working Through Senate to Sabotage Iran Diplomacy Affiliates of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, are claiming to be behind a major letter from the Senate aimed at curtailing U.S. diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear dispute. - 6/20/12

Iran says any wrong move by West to affect result of talks The Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili said Tuesday any wrong movement by western countries would affect the result of talks. Iran's top negotiator expressed hope after two days of talks in Moscow that members of P5+1 change their previous approach and take steps in cooperation with Iran. - 6/20/12

Exclusive interview with Reza Pahlavi Radio Zamaneh correspondent Lida Hossaini Nejad was given an exclusive interview with the Iranian former crown prince discussing the current situation and the future of Iran as well as the outcome of his trip to The Hague. - 6/20/12

Persian music maestro buried secretly at night The legendary maestro of Persian classical music, Hassan Kasaii, was buried secretly at night. He passed away Tuesday, 14 June 2012 at the age of 84 in the Persian city of Isfahan. - 6/20/12

Popular Pakistani Singer Ghazala Javed Gunned Down Popular Pashto-language singer Ghazala Javed has been shot dead along with her father in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. She had a loyal fan following among Pashto speakers around the world. - 6/20/12

Photos: The Valley of Poppies Valley of Poppies is located at the foot of Mount Damavand in northern Iran. During spring and summer seasons, this valley is covered with poppy flowers creating magnificent scenery for the visitors to enjoy. -Mojtaba Heydari - 6/19/12

Positions 'Hard To Reconcile' At Iran Talks Russia's deputy foreign minister has said that the positions of Iran and world powers in Moscow talks over Tehran's nuclear drive are "hard to reconcile." The two-day Moscow talks come after two fruitless rounds in Istanbul and Baghdad. - 6/19/12

Iran: Group Hanging Reported In Khuzestan Province Human rights groups report that a number of Iranian-Arab political prisoners have been secretly hanged en masse in Khuzestan. The report indicated that the families of the prisoners were contacted and informed about the fate of their kin. - 6/19/12

Iran clarifies proposals in Moscow talks Iran elaborated on its five-point package of proposals during a new round of talks with the six major powers in Moscow on Monday. The talks between Tehran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany), which are being held at Golden Ring Hotel, are scheduled to continue on Tuesday. - 6/19/12

Health of Jailed Iranian Activist Nargess Mohammadi Deteriorating Jailed activist Nargess Mohammadi is suffering from deteriorating health in Zanjan Prison, according to her husband, Taghi Rahmani. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reports that human rights activist Mohammadi is in dire condition in jail. - 6/19/12

Jailed Iranian journalist handed a fresh sentence Issa Saharkhiz, a jailed Iranian journalist, has been handed another sentence as he nears the end of his initial three-year sentence. The prominent journalist has already suffered a heart attack in jail and has been hospitalized since last March. - 6/19/12

Immigrants Own Nearly One in Five U.S. Small Businesses Immigrants own nearly one in five of the small businesses operated in the United States, according to a recent study. The study, the first of its kind, was conducted by the Fiscal Policy Institute, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, research and education organization based in New York. -Jane Morse, IIP Digital - 6/19/12

Iran plans to build 10 new destroyers In an interview with the Persian service of the Fars News Agency published on Tuesday, Rear Admiral Abbas Zamini said that the Navy has planned to design and manufacture 10 new destroyers in addition to the Jamaran and Velayat destroyers. - 6/19/12

Ahmadinejad starts Latin American tour Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said before leaving Tehran for Bolivia that all efforts would be made so that "Rio+20" decisions would be in the interests of all nations. - 6/19/12

Iran benefits from over USD 4 billion of trade with Kurdistan annually The seventh solo exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran held in Erbil -The exhibition that was attended by 165 Iranian companies from 19 provinces of the country specialized in the fields of food, carpets, cosmetics, clothes, agriculture, construction and a number of other sectors. -Kurdish Globe - 6/19/12

Dayer-Nakhiloo National Park: A Birds Paradise A section of Mand Protected Zone in Bushehr province was converted into Dayer-Nakhiloo National Park in 2008. This park includes the four islands of Tahmadoon, Khan, Nakhiloo and Ummol-Karam. - 6/18/12

Photos: The Swinging Minarets of Isfahan The Swinging Minaret (called Menar Jonban in Persian) is a mausoleum in Isfahan, Iran, entitled to Amu Abdoullah Ebne Mohammad Ebne Mahmmoud, a mystic who died in 1316 AD. - 6/18/12

Minoudasht, a truly color spectacular adventure Minoudasht is one of the eastern cities known as the bride of the northern Golestan Province. This area has been known invariably as the Green Plain, Plain of Heaven, Plain of Minou and presently Minoudasht. - 6/18/12

The Revolutionary Guards Before and After 2009: Two Acts of a Coup "Any action to launch a velvet revolution in Iran will be crushed immediately. If political groups and parties in Iran are realistic they will not move towards planning or implementing such scenarios. Everybody must accept the people's votes and respect them. Iranian people are Muslims and want Islam and they view the Imam's line and that of the supreme leader to be the pure path of Mohammad's Islam and will never deviate from this course." -Bahram Rafiei, Rooz - 6/18/12

Archbishop Desmond Tutu's Message of Solidarity with the Iranian People In June 2009, millions of Iranians took to the streets to demand democracy and human rights. On the anniversary of this uprising, Archbishop Desmond Tutu sends a message of hope and solidarity to the Iranian people. Archbishop Tutu is a Nobel Peace Laureate and an avid human rights defender worldwide. He is widely described as 'South Africa's moral conscience.' - 6/18/12

Iran: Arrests announced for assassination ring The Iranian Minister of Intelligence announced on Sunday that 20 people have been arrested as part of its operation aimed at "identifying and destroying" the people who targeted Iran's nuclear scientists for assassination. - 6/18/12

Iranian Traders Threaten to Withdraw from UAE's Economy Hossein Asrar Haqiqi, co-founder and official spokesman for the Iranian Business Council in Dubai, told Arabian Business that discrimination against Iranian companies operating in the UAE, or Iranophobia, will have a damaging impact on trade between the two companies and will negatively impact the gross domestic product of the emirates. - 6/18/12

Iran will seek three-step strategy in Moscow talks: Envoy The two-day Moscow negotiations are slated to follow up on the previous talks in Iraq and Turkey. Iran and the P5+1 held three sessions of plenary talks in Baghdad in May after an earlier round of negotiations in the Turkish city of Istanbul in mid-April. - 6/18/12

Iran Should Not Allow the Talks to Be a "Success" If ... Iran should not allow the Moscow talks (18 June, 2012) to be announced, declared or referred to as "successful", "positive", "constructive" or even "promising" by the other party or the Western media in the absence of absolutely concrete and tangible concessions from the West in terms of sanctions relief and normalisation of Iran's nuclear file in the IAEA. I explain why. -Shirin Shafaie - 6/17/12

I want to win gold in Olympics: Iranian weightlifter Behdad Salimi Iran's super heavyweight weightlifter Behdad Salimi has said that he is going to win the gold medal in the London 2012 Olympic Games. The two-time World Championships gold medalist suffers knee injury but the lifter has promised that he would claim the gold medal in the Olympics. - 6/17/12

Iranian Officials Warn Alcohol Abuse On The Rise Wine has always been a part of Iranian culture. References to it even appear frequently in poetry. But since the 1979 revolution, alcohol has been banned in Iran -- punishable by flogging, fines, and jail time. Despite the stiff penalties and the confiscation of millions of liters of alcoholic beverages, Iranian officials say consumption is on the rise. -Golnaz Esfandiari, Mohammad Zarghami, RFE - 6/17/12

IRGC files suit against Iranian MP A top commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) announced that the IRGC has filed a complaint against Ali Motahari, the Member of Parliament who has accused them of interfering in the elections. - 6/17/12

Tajik Mullahs Warn Of New Threat In Temporary Marriages Mosque sermons in Tajikistan tend to focus on issues that affect people's everyday lives. These days, the hot-button topic of many sermons in Dushanbe has been temporary marriages -- a phenomenon that was almost unheard of in Tajik society until recently. -Farangis Najibullah, Kayumars Ato, RFE - 6/17/12

Minister: Iran plans to export 1 million cars by 2025 Iran plans to manufacture at least three million cars by 2025 and export some one million sets, the Fars News Agency quoted Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari as saying. He made the remarks on the sidelines of a ceremony to unveil the second all-Iranian car, named Runna, in Tehran on Saturday. - 6/17/12

VIEWPOINT: Three Years In, Is Iran's Green Revolution Still Going? Before there was an Arab awakening, there was an Iranian one. It started three years ago, on June 13, 2009. Some have since called it a revolution; others have been more guarded, referring to it instead as a movement, connoting a sense of continuity. -Holly Dagres - 6/16/12

After Moscow: Will There be War or Peace? The Russian scholar and independent analyst Dr. Nikolay Kozhanov shares his in-depth insight into the Russian approach towards the upcoming Moscow negotiations between P5+1 and Iran with Shirin Shafaie. Dr. Kozhanov was an attache at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Tehran from 2006 to 2009, where he worked on Iran's nuclear issue among other socio-economic and energy-related issues. - 6/16/12

Open letter from the American Iranian Council to Iran's Nuclear Negotiation Delegation The Moscow talks that are set to occur on the 18th and 19th of June is of great sensitivity and significance. A precarious setback as a result of failed Moscow talks is that shortly after the conclusion of the talks sanctions on the central bank of Iran by the United States on June 28th, and the embargo on Iranian crude oil export by the European Union (EU) on July 1st will come into effect. - 6/16/12

One more game on Shahnameh stories produced The game centers on the story how Siavash, one of the commanders in the army of Turan, was killed by Afrasiab, the king of Turan. His son Kai Khosrow later decides to avenge his father's death. The game, which has been rated PG, was produced at the Sourena Game Studio. - 6/16/12

Iranian Ney virtuoso Hassan Kasaii dies at 84 Kasaii was born in 1928 in Isfahan. He gave his first solo performance on stage in a play in Isfahan when he was only 20. He composed his first musical piece named "Salam" a year later at 21, a tune, which became one of the most famous hits years later. - 6/16/12

Iran Bans Unions From Commenting On Inflation Iran's semi-official ILNA news agency reports that the Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Commerce recently sent a letter to trade unions and associations involved in the production and distribution of goods instructing them not to give interviews to the media about inflation. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE - 6/16/12

Iran finishes 2nd in WABA Championship Iran basketball team beat Jordan 65-63 in a thriller on the concluding day of the 12th WABA Championship and booked a place in the 4th FIBA Asia Cup which will be held in Tokyo, Japan from Sept 14-22. - 6/16/12

Obama meets Saudi King to discuss Iran, Syria U.S. President Barack Obama spoke by phone on Thursday with King Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz of Saudi Arabia to discuss escalating violence in Syria and the plans to expand sanctions against Iran. - 6/16/12

Worry Replaces Hope in Race to Restore Ancient Afghan CityOnce filled with treasure-adorned minarets, grand libraries and mosques, and a towering fortress overlooking a vast empire, the ancient city of Ghazni was in the past a great center of Islamic power and culture. -Frud Bezhan, Zarif Nazar, RFE - 6/16/12

Covering The Heart Of The War In KandaharFrom 2006 to 2010, award-winning Canadian photojournalist Louie Palu covered the fighting in Afghanistan from Kandahar, the heartland of the insurgency. The result is a series of photos -- at once documentary and artistic -- that provide a window into the horrors of battle and the daily life that goes on in its midst. - 6/16/12

Photos: A Village Living In The Past Century The village of Jovanidap is located by the province of Sistan o Baluchestan in southeast Iran. Life is still very primitive for the people of this village who are deprived of schooling, health care, clean water and electricity. Will the 21st century ever arrive in this village? - 6/15/12

Senator Blakeslee Recognizes the Contributions of Iranian-Americans Senator Sam Blakeslee invites you to join him in recognizing the many contributions of Iranian-Americans to the state's and the nation's diverse cultural fabric. This year, the California State Senate passed SR 29, a Senate Resolution authored by Senator Blakeslee that acknowledges the importance of the Iranian-American diaspora in California and recognizes the month of June 2012 as ൦ Days of Solidarity with the Human Rights Movement in the Islamic Republic of Iran." - 6/15/12

Photos: Iran's first school of puppet theater for the deaf opens in Tehran The Art and Cultural Organization of Tehran Municipality has established the first school of puppet theater for the deaf at Shafaq Cultural Center. The school was inaugurated during a ceremony here on Tuesday evening attended by Samineh Baghcheban, daughter of Jabbar Baghcheban, founder of the first Iranian school for the deaf in 1924 - 6/15/12

Said Jalili: Iran's Rising Political Star The former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), who lost his right leg in the 1980-88 war with Iraq, is currently the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, which means he handles his country's most important foreign-policy dossier: negotiating with Western countries as the personal representative of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE - 6/15/12

Dobbins: Enrichment Ultimatums and Threats Undermine U.S. Goals on Iran Dobbins warned against a U.S. approach to the Iranian dispute favored by many in Congress demanding Iran end all nuclear enrichment. Instead, he said, the U.S. should focus on securing inspections and transparency mechanisms to ensure Iran's enrichment program is purely for civilian use. - 6/15/12

Russia Defends Arms Sale to Syria, Blasts US Russia on Wednesday defended its sale of arms to Syria and stepped up the rhetoric by accusing the United States of providing weapons to the Syrian rebels. The U.S., meanwhile has warned Russia that it will not be party to any Syria peace plan that includes Iran. - 6/15/12

British, Iranian Foreign Ministers Meet In Kabul British Foreign Secretary William Hague has held talks with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Akbar Salehi, in what's being described as the highest-level meeting between Iran and Britain since Iranian protesters stormed the British Embassy in Tehran in November. - 6/14/12

Iranian Bar Association Under SiegeFirst, they arrested the civil and political activists. Then they arrested the lawyers representing those activists. Then, they arrested the lawyers defending the imprisoned lawyers. Then, when there were no more lawyers left to defend the civil and political activists, they took steps towards taking over the Bar Association. -Shadi Sadr, Huffington Post - 6/14/12

Iran to increase state employees' pay by 15%Iran's government approved a 15 percent increase in state employees' salaries for current year 1391, Mehr news reported, citing an official. Iranian calendar year 1391 commenced 21 March 2012 and will end on 20 March 2013. - 6/14/12

Iran: Supreme Leader urges unity among officials Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has called for increased unity and empathy among the country's officials. The Leader made the remarks on Wednesday during a meeting with a number of newly-elected MPs. - 6/14/12

Iran, Qatar tie goalless in World Cup qualifier Iran as been stopped to a goalless draw against Qatar at the AFC 2014 World Cup qualification tournament.The Iranian national squad did not live up to its standards and tied scoreless against a defensive Qatar at a full packed Azadi stadium in Tehran on Tuesday. - 6/13/12

Video Highlights Plight Of Jailed Iranian Mother Activists have posted a video of jailed prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh meeting her two young children while they were visiting her at Tehran's Evin prison. It is hoped the film will draw attention to her situation. - 6/13/12

Pomegranates and Roses: My Persian Family Recipes Ariana Bundy's family roots are firmly planted in Persian soil. She inherited her love of food and cooking from her grandparents-merchants and landowners who grew cherries, plums, apricots, apples, sugar beets, wheat, and barley; bred sheep and goats for dairy; and had beautiful vineyards producing prized grapes; and from her father, who owned and ran the first fine-dining French restaurant in Iran. - 6/13/12

Dangers of a Stalled Negotiation in Moscow Pessimism is setting in about the planned talks in Moscow on June 18-19 between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (the US, the UK, France, Russia, China) and Germany, otherwise known as P5+1. Yet, it is imperative that the negotiations do not collapse. -Hooshang Amirahmadi and Shahir Shahidsaless - 6/13/12

Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Gets 13 Years A leading Iranian human rights lawyer has been sentenced to 13 years in prison by a Tehran revolutionary court. Abdolfattah Soltani was arrested last year and charged with endangering national security, among other charges.He was first sentenced to 18 years in prison in March. - 6/13/12

Falling Oil Prices Prompt Russian Economic Fears LONDON - Oil prices have shown a steady fall in the last few months, prompting fears that the Russian economy, which relies heavily on energy exports, could suffer. Meanwhile, new sources of oil are coming on line and helping to drive down the price at the pump. - 6/13/12

China Defiant on Iran Oil Purchases BEIJING - The Chinese government has indicated it has no plans to change its position on oil purchases from Iran, a day after the United States left Beijing off a list of economies that are exempt from U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil imports. -Stephanie Ho, VOA - 6/13/12

Clinton: Iran To Be Offered Nuclear Deal U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says world powers will give Iran a "very clear path" to resolve the crisis over its controversial nuclear program at next week's talks in Moscow. - 6/13/12

Obama, Iran, and the "Jewish vote"A Western diplomat recently told me that the negotiations on Iran's nuclear program are neither about Iran nor about nuclear bombs: They are about Israel. -Trita Parsi, Daily Beast - 6/13/12

Azerbaijan: Reporter Sentenced on Spurious Charges An Azerbaijani journalist known for his reporting on politically sensitive issues was sentenced to two years in prison on June 11, 2012, on fabricated drug possession charges, Human Rights Watch said today. - 6/13/12

Photos: Women Attending Concert In Tehran Arrested By Morality Police Scores of women who wanted to attend a concert at Milad Tower in Tehran on Monday were arrested by police. ISNA reports that the arrests are connected with the implementation of a plan to deal severely with women who dress "inappropriately" in public places, adding that a famous actress was also arrested on similar grounds. - 6/12/12

AZADI: Songs of Freedom for Iran On the anniversary of the 2009 uprising, honoring the ongoing struggle: We are thrilled to announce the release of the Azadi: Songs of Freedom for Iran, a free downloadable mixtape album with messages of resistance and inspiration for Iranians continuing to push for democracy and human rights. -United4Iran - 6/12/12

Iranian Americans in the California Primary Elections A number of Iranian American candidates were on the ballot on Primary Election Day this past Tuesday in California. The candidates included, Edesa Bitbadal for San Jose City Council District 10, Farrah Douglas for California State Assembly District 76, and Ron Varasteh for U.S. Congress District 48. - 6/12/12

Which Side Will Lose More if Moscow Talks Fail? As far as the P5+1 group - the US, the UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany - is concerned, the issue of the forthcoming negotiations between Iran and the group in Russia's capital, Moscow, is quite clear. They will repeat what they already said in Baghdad in addition to posing harsher threats to Iran. -Mehdi Mohammadi - 6/12/12

PAAIA Brings The Iran Job to Chapters Nationwide In collaboration with its producers, Sara Nodjoumi and Till Schauder, PAAIA is bringing private screenings of the movie, The Iran Job, to some of its chapters. The movie follows American basketball player Kevin Sheppardas after he accepts a job to play in one of the world's most feared countries: Iran. - 6/12/12

Rescued Iranian Cat Gets Comfy in Napa Remember Maloos, the badly-injured tabby cat found on a Tehran street, rehabilitated in San Francisco and adopted last week by a Napa woman with roots in Iran? Here's an update from Bay City News Service, with photos from his new home. -NapaPatch - 6/12/12

Sinopec turns down cut-price Iran crude - sourceChinese refiner Sinopec has turned down offers of bargain Iranian crude and will cut imports by up to a fifth this year, a senior Chinese oil executive said, insisting ties with the United States were more important than cut-price oil as the West squeezes Tehran over its nuclear programme. -Reuters - 6/12/12

Photos: Gavkhouni Salt Marsh in Central Iran Located in central Iran, east of city of Esfahan, Gavkhouni is the terminal basin of the Zayandeh Rud (Zayandeh River). Gavkhouni is a salt marsh with a salinity of 315% and an average depth of about 1 meter. The salt marsh can dry up during the summer season. - 6/11/12

Iran opens traditional medicine festival Iran opened the first festival of traditional medicine, natural products and medicinal plants Sunday in presence of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. 187 private companies and 102 scientific centers as well as 80 technological plans presented by Iranian experts are taking part in the event. - 6/11/12

Iranian vice-president named in fraud case In the eighth trial session of the insurance fraud case that allegedly involves the Tehran governor's office, one of the accused claimed that 1.5 billion toumans was given to Mohammadreza Rahimi, chief deputy to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. - 6/11/12

Iran plans to boost share in global gas exports to 16 percent Iran plans to raise gas exports to 230 million cubic meters per day by 2025, aiming to boost its share in global gas exports to 16 percent from just one percent at present, the ISNA News Agency reported. The country is currently exporting around 34 million cubic meters of gas per day, the report added. - 6/11/12

On the rise: Immigrant entrepreneursWorking for a new company? There's a more than one-in-four chance your new boss wasn't born here. Immigrants created 28% of all new firms last year. They were also twice as likely to start a new business when compared to those born in the United States. -CNN Money - 6/11/12

U.S. Is Worst Polluter In The World: Iran's Environment Chief The director of Iran's Environment Protection Organization said on Sunday that the United Sates is the "worst" polluter in the world especially in producing greenhouse gases. But contrary to what Mohammadizadeh claims, the UN data show China is now the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the world. - 6/11/12

Photos: The Sahand Mountainside The mountainsides of Sahand provide a refreshing retreat for the people who want to escape citiy life. Sahand is a massive, heavily eroded stratovolcano in northwestern Iran. At 3,707 m (12,162 ft), it is the highest mountain in the Iranian province of East Azarbaijan. - 6/10/12

Iranians Face Sharp Rise In Price Of Bread A steep increase in the price of wheat has resulted in a similar rise in bread prices in some Iranian provinces. In most cases, consumers are facing a price increase of up to 30 percent. - 6/10/12

Volleyball: Iran defeats Japan as Serbia and Australia head for Olympics Iran edged Japan 3-0 (25-22, 35-33, 25-22) to finish with a 5-2 record. Japan dropped to 4-3. Both sides were out of the running for an Olympic berth after Australia clinched the final spot earlier in the day with a win over China. Serbia had already qualified for the Olympics with seven wins. - 6/10/12

Iran slams Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE for violating OPEC quota Iran's OPEC Governor Mohammad Ali Khatibi says some member states, particularly Saudi Arabia, are violating the oil quota of the petroleum producing organization. "Saudi Arabia and its two allies (Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates) are the biggest violators of the OPEC (quota)," Khatibi said on Saturday. - 6/10/12

Iran: Eye-Catching Object In The Sky Explained Iran says the bright object seen in Iranian skies on Thursday night originated in Afghanistan. An informed source in the Iranian military told the Fars News Agency that the luminescent object seen on Thursday night around 10:30 PM came from Eastern Afghanistan, and its path reached to Israel. - 6/10/12

Rising number of CCHF infections in Iranian provinces Iranian media report that seven people in the country have died after contracting the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF). Most victims of the viral disease have been identified in the eastern provinces, but reports indicate that the virus has been detected in 27 of Iran's 31 provinces. - 6/10/12

Iran Produces Tuberculosis Vaccine The director of the Pasteur Institute says Iran has succeeded to produce high quality tuberculosis vaccine in a modern way. "Tuberculosis vaccine or BCG (Bacille Calmette Guerin) has been produced by the Pasteur Institute in a modern way and is now being sold in the domestic market," Dr. Mostafa Qanei told the Far news agency. - 6/10/12

Iran hopes to sign final agreement with IAEA in next meeting Soltanieh referred to complicated aspects of political and legal of the modality scheduled to be agreed between Iran and the agency, expressing hope the final accord in which Iran's legal and technical criteria as well its considerations are heeded would be signed in the next meeting. - 6/10/12

Iranian judiciary keeps journalist's bail money The Iranian judiciary confiscated Abdolreza Tajik's bail money of 500,000 toumans after the persecuted journalist left the country. Tajik had been arrested on the charge of membership in illegal groups and propaganda against the regime. - 6/10/12

Iran plans to become hub for power transit to Europe: Official The Iranian official further said that Iran seeks to emerge as a center for electricity transactions across the Middle East, citing the country's strategic geographical position, wide power transmission network and the annual electricity generation capacity of more than 66,000 megawatts (MW). - 6/10/12

Zan Magazine: Providing for the Modern Woman The word 'zan' means woman in the Persian language. It is fitting, therefore, that Zan be the name of this first of its kind publication whose purpose is to serve the modern Iranian-American woman. - 6/8/12

Father Of Iranian Political Prisoner Threatened With Death The interrogator of jailed blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki has reportedly threatened the prisoner's father with death. The jailed blogger has been refusing food to protest the judiciary's refusal to release him to receive critical medical care, Ahmad Ronaghi Maleki told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran - 6/8/12

Stanford sequences the Iranian genome When scientists started studying genomes, and then sequencing them, their work was hailed as revolutionary. But, they were mostly done in connection with Caucasian genes and some African and East Asian populations. One of the races no one studied was the Persian race. That is, until last year. -Hana Baba, KALW - 6/8/12

Extraordinary seniors: Rausan BorujerdiSome cultures are painted in broad strokes, according to Rausan Borujerdi, but the act of painting itself can help shatter stereotypes, she believes. The young artist said she feels most compelled to portray Iran as the vibrant country she has come to know through family visits. -Emily Ngo, Newsday - 6/8/12

Summer Camp Explores Diaspora Identity Before we can build solidarity with other communities, we have to know who we are as a community. Camp Ayandeh invites young Iranian Americans to reflect on their shared history and their place in the Iranian diaspora, while building solidarity across differences. -Narges Bajoghli, International Diaspora Engagement Alliances - 6/8/12

Iran and IAEA begin new round of talks Iran began new round of talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today, June 8. The Associated Press reports that the IAEA is expected to press Iran for access to the Parchin military base. - 6/8/12

Photos: Heart Surgery at Razavi Hospital in Mashhad, Iran In conjunction with the Fifth International Razavi Cardiovascular Congress, held from May 30th to June 1st 2012 in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran, five complex cariac surgery operations were performed at the Razavi Hospital with participation of Iranian and foreign specialists. - 6/7/12

SCO Leaders Reject Force In Iran, Syria The leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan said in a joint statement signed at the end of a two-day summit on June 7 that "any attempts to solve the Iranian problem with force are unacceptable and could lead to unpredictable circumstances." - 6/7/12

Tehran Says IAEA Acts Like 'Intelligence Agency' Iran has accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of acting like an "intelligence organization" as it presses Tehran to answer questions about the potential military dimensions of its nuclear program. Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, launched the accusation at the agency's headquarters in Vienna on June 6. - 6/7/12

Iran: Political prisoner dies in Rejai Shahr Prison An Iranian-Kurdish political prisoner died last night in Rejai Shahr Prison in Karaj, human rights groups report. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Mohammad Mehdi Zalieh Naghshbandian had been transferred to hospital earlier this month for serious health complications. - 6/7/12

Three Questions for 'Jewel' Handbag Designers Bita and Rouzita of 'ita collection'Iran-born creatives Bita and Rouzita Vahhabaghai's new line of shimmery 'Jewel' handbags depict a unique fusion of metals, leather and patterns often used in architecture and graphic designs. Many of the ita collection handbags, which have in the last year taken the fashion scene by storm... -Roshanak Taghavi, Huffington Post - 6/7/12

Iran says no limitation for boosting ties with Russia Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said there is no limitation for boosting ties with Russia. Ahmadinejad made remarks in his meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, adding the mutual cooperation guarantees peace and security for the two nations and governments. - 6/7/12

Finder of 'Flame' Virus Tells Israel to "Stop Before It's Too Late" Cyber-weapons, Kaspersky advised,"are a very very bad idea." Whatever advanced knowledge allowed engineers to fashion the malicious software targeted at Iran's nuclear program will, in short order, become known to other nations, he said, and next time could well be directed back at the originators -Karl Vick, TIME - 6/7/12

Photos: Transit of Venus across the Sun People in Tehran and other towns across Iran observed the rare phenomena of transit of Venus across Sun on Wednesday morning. Transits of Venus are among the rarest of predictable astronomical phenomena. They occur in a pattern that repeats every 243 years, with pairs of transits eight years apart separated by long gaps of 121.5 years and 105.5 years. - 6/6/12

Iran's Opposition Leader Mehdi Karrubi Meets With Family Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karrubi met with his family on June 4 for three hours, according to his son, who wrote about the visit on his Facebook page. Mohammad Hossein Karrubi also posted a picture of the visit, the first photograph of his father that has been seen in months. - 6/6/12

Mahsa and Masoud: 'Til Prison Do Us Part Journalist Masoud Bastani was arrested on 5 July 2009 in the aftermath of the presidential election. He is currently serving his six-year prison sentence. Mahsa Amrabadi, fellow journalist and wife of Bastani, began serving her one-year prison sentence on 9 May 2012 on the charge of "propagating against the regime through interviews and reports." - 6/6/12

Iran: Prisoners warn about possible death of blogger A letter from 117 Iranian political prisoners being held in Section 350 of Evin Prison warns authorities about the critical health of jailed blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, who has lost one kidney and is on a hunger strike to fight for sick leave from prison. - 6/6/12

Part of Persepolis sewage system unearthed A team of Iranian archaeologists has recently discovered 20 meters of a canal of the sewage system of Persepolis in southern Iran. The team led by Ali Asadi has been commissioned to carry out excavations of the sewage system to discover how the system worked during the Achaemenid era - 6/6/12

Russia Rejects SCO Membership For Iran Until UN Sanctions Lifted Russian news agencies are quoting President Vladimir Putin's representative to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as saying Iran, which has observer status in the organization, can only become a full member when United Nations sanctions against the Islamic republic are lifted. - 6/6/12

US Rejected 2005 Iranian Offer Ensuring No Nuclear Weapons France and Germany were prepared in spring 2005 to negotiate on an Iranian proposal to convert all of its enriched uranium to fuel rods, making it impossible to use it for nuclear weapons, but Britain vetoed the deal at the insistence of the United States, according to a new account by a former top Iranian nuclear negotiator. -Gareth Porter, IPS - 6/6/12

Iran wants bilateral talks with EU Iran has invited the EU to bilateral talks prior to the meeting between Iran and the world powers scheduled for later this month in Moscow. - 6/6/12

SCO Summit Shines Spotlight on Afghanistan China and Afghanistan are expected to deepen ties when they sign a series of strategic agreements during this week's annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). - 6/6/12

Terrorists? Us?The story of the People's Mujahedin of Iran, also known as the Mujahedin e Khalq (MEK), is all about the way image management can enable a diehard enemy to become a cherished ally. -Owen Bennett-Jones - 6/6/12

Photos: Carpet Of Chamomile Flowers In Namin, Iran Every year in late spring, chamomile flowers blanket an area of ​​about five thousand acres in Fandoghlou recreational area close to the city of Namin in Iran's Ardabil province. This nature's carpet of white and yellow creates the most beautiful scenery for the visitors to enjoy. - 6/5/12

Representatives Demand Study on Consequences of War with Iran Washington, DC - On May 31st, the House of Representatives approved by voice vote an amendment to the Intelligence Authorization Act by Reps. John Conyers (D-MI), Keith Ellison (D-MN), and Barbara Lee (D-CA) aimed at highlighting the potential consequences of a war with Iran. - 6/5/12

"Human Dignity" and "Equal Dignity" Human dignity is the foundational concept of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and as such it is a defining characteristic attributed to living human beings. The core belief of human rights is the belief that every person should be treated equally and with dignity irrespective of their circumstances. -12Petals Media Group - 6/5/12

Larijani Defeats Hadad Adel In Iran's Parliament Speaker Race Ali Larijani was elected as the speaker of Iran's 290-member parliament during an open session of the Majlis on Tuesday. Larijani, who will serve a one-year term in the new principlist-dominated parliament, won 177 votes out of 270 votes cast. - 6/5/12

Mystery Iranian deaths amid shadow warAt least 10 high-ranking officers in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps are reported to have died recently, apparently in violent circumstances. But only two of the deaths have been made public, raising suspicions the officers may have been assassinated by Iran's enemies. -UPI - 6/5/12

Popli Khalatbari Charitable Foundation's 2012 Fundraiser Popli Khalatbari Charitable Foundation's next UK Annual Fundraiser will be held on Thursday 28th June 2012 at the Kensington Roof Gardens, W8. The Popli Khalatbari Charitable Foundation was launched in 1998 by the family and friends of the late Popli Khalatbari, who wished to honour her memory by distributing the funds from her estate in a manner befitting of the spirit with which she had led her life. - 6/4/12

Iran, IAEA to meet in Vienna on June 8 Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will hold a new round of talks in Vienna on June 8, the agency's director general, Yukiya Amano, announced on Friday. IAEA has said that gaining access to the Parchin military site, which is located southeast of Tehran, is a priority for the UN nuclear watchdog. - 6/4/12

US: Iranian Accusations Will Not Derail Moscow Talks Iran's supreme leader says the United States and its allies are lying about Iran's nuclear program to cover up their own problems. The Obama administration says it is easy enough for Iran to resolve the dispute by taking concrete steps to demonstrate that it is not developing atomic weapons. -Scott Stearns, VOA - 6/4/12

Iran in Quest for OPEC's Top Post Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi said his country plans to propose its own nominee for the post of Secretary-General in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)in the upcoming ministerial meeting of the oil cartel in Vienna later this month. - 6/4/12

Photos: Ahvaz Hit by Dust Storm again Another severe dust storm has hit the city of Ahvaz in the province of Khouzestan in southwestern Iran. In recent years, dust storms originating from Iraq have become a common thing for the western cities in Iran. The storms have resulted in closing of offices and schools at times, and they are a major source of health concerns for the residents. -Mohammadreza Dehdari - 6/3/12

Ghost goal drama as Iran beat UzbeksIran snatched a 1-0 win in the dying seconds against Uzbekistan Sunday in a dramatic World Cup qualifier as the hosts were left to rue an apparent goal which went unseen by the match officials. -AFP - 6/3/12

What Happens after Baghdad Talks: Scenarios and Solutions The latest two rounds of negotiations between Iran and the group P5+1, known as Istanbul 2 and Baghdad talks, have provided a good ground for speculations about goals and objectives of the United States and its European allies. The following pessimistic and optimistic scenarios can be considered in this regard. -Dr. Ali Abdullah-Khani - 6/3/12

Khamenei: Sanctions Deepen Hatred of West Iran's supreme leader says Western sanctions will not impede Tehran's progress, but will instead deepen hatred of the West in the hearts of the Iranian people. - 6/3/12

Human Rights: Lost in the Midst of Negotiations?While negotiations between the G-5 and representatives of the Islamic Republic have captivated the world, the fact that a growing number of Iran's human rights activists, journalists, lawyers, students -- many of them women -- are in jail or on their way to jail, has received little international attention. -Fariba Amini, Huffington Post - 6/3/12

Iran, Iraq agree to adopt joint stance at OPEC Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Ghasemi has held talks with the Iraqi prime minister, insisting on the need to reach a unified position on the oil production quota in the upcoming summit of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). - 6/3/12

Oil Output Soars as Iraq RetoolsDespite sectarian bombings and political gridlock, Iraq's crude oil production is soaring, providing a singular bright spot for the nation's future and relief for global oil markets as the West tightens sanctions on Iranian exports. -NY Times - 6/3/12

The Fifth International Razavi Cardiovascular Congress convened in Mashhad The Fifth International Razavi Cardiovascular Congress was held from May 30th to June 1st 2012 at the Razavi Hospital in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran. According to Astan Quds Razavi, 80 specialists from around the world and 400 physicians and heart surgeons from across Iran participated at the event. - 6/2/12

Obama 'Stepped Up' Iran Cyberattacks U.S. President Barack Obama reportedly expanded cyberattacks on Iran's nuclear program even after the Stuxnet virus was accidentally made public in 2010. "The New York Times" reported on June 1 that the operation, codenamed "Olympic Games," had begun under President George W. Bush. - 6/2/12

Jailed Iranian Activist On Hunger Strike Mohammad Seddigh Kaboodvand, a jailed Kurdish human rights activist, has once again begun a hunger strike to back his demand for a furlough to visit his sick son. - 6/2/12

U.S. wants "concrete actions" from Iran The United States say Iran must take "concrete steps" to ease international concern about its nuclear program in time for this month's talks with the G5+1 in Moscow. - 6/2/12

India insists will not reduce oil import from Iran Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishna made it clear on Thursday that New Delhi will not bow to U.S. pressure to reduce its oil imports from Iran and called Iran a "key country" for meeting India's growing energy needs. - 6/2/12

Photos: Mount Khwaja in Zabol Mount Khwaja or Mount Khwajeh is a flat-topped black basalt hill rising up as an island in the middle of Lake Hamun, in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan. - 6/1/12

17 NGOs Call on Iran to Uphold the Right to Education The signatories representing 17 human rights and student organizations express deep concern about the alarming state of academic freedom in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in particular violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly on campuses; and institutionalized procedures that allow authorities arbitrarily to expel and suspend students, and fire graduate instructors on the basis of their political views or activities. - 6/1/12

Obama Order Sped Up Wave of Cyberattacks Against Iran From his first months in office, President Obama secretly ordered increasingly sophisticated attacks on the computer systems that run Iran's main nuclear enrichment facilities, significantly expanding America's first sustained use of cyberweapons, according to participants in the program. -Davis E. Sanger, NY Times - 6/1/12

Senior cleric calls for apology to Iranian people Senior Shiite leader Ayatollah Mousavi Ardebili has spoken out in Qom against the current political situation in Iran, announcing that all current and former leaders of the Islamic Republic regime must apologize to the people. - 6/1/12

Sattareh Farman Farmaian, 90, rescuer of prostitutes in Iran Sattareh Farman Farmaian, the daughter of a Persian prince who used her family's power to found a trailblazing social movement on behalf of prostitutes and other disadvantaged Iranian women in the years before the Islamic revolution, died May 21 at her home in Los Angeles. -Emily Langer, Washington Post - 6/1/12

With Holocaust book in Farsi, Iranian-American author plugs a historical holeWhen he first became interested in learning about the Holocaust in the 1990s, Dr. Ari Babaknia had trouble finding any literature on the subject written in his native tongue, Farsi... So Babaknia, who came to the United States from Iran in 1974, decided to write the book himself, taking time off from his day job as a fertility specialist. -CNN - 6/1/12